Under the Crescent Moon
by oneechan25
Summary: A classic love story between an enigmatic youkai lord and the girl who changed his life. Set in an AU, join Kagome, Sesshomaru, and all of the familiar cast from Rumiko Takahashi's beloved story Inuyasha and fall in love with the story all over again.


Disclaimer:

Oh the things I would do,

If I owned Sesshomaru.

He would be forever at my beck and call.

As a matter of fact, I wouldn't share him at all.

Give me Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango,

Then I would make them all dance to a tango.

Can you imagine all the stories I could write,

To this little fan girl's delight.

This I swear I will do,

If my dreams should really come true.

But I guess, in the end it would be pure folly,

Because I would face the wrath of Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: This is what I get when I mix reading Dr. Seuss books with Inuyasha! Go figure.

* * *

Japan, 1482

The voluptuous female youkai lifted up on an elbow and pulled the sheet to hide her naked body. Frowning slightly, she studied the handsome lord who was standing near the window of his bedchamber, looking out across the landscape of trees and carefully tended flowers. Her gaze rested on his broad back and she smiled softly as she noted how well the silk yukata clung to his form. Her smile grew stronger as her mind remembered the pleasure of their last activity and the feel of his skin on hers. She felt the familiar burning sensation slowly curling within the depths of her belly, and resentment for his absence flared within her chest.

"My lord, what do you see out the window that would hold your interest more than I?" Lady Yura asked as she wrapped the sheet around herself and walked over to his side.

Shesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, seemed not to hear her as he looked out across the grounds that he had inherited when his father passed away. A faint rustling noise caught his attention and he saw Lord Komo, emerge from the bushes. The middle aged youkai cast a brief, furtive look about him, straightened his rumpled clothes and reached into the foliage. A slender hand grasped his extended limb and soon, a younger female youkai stood by his side. Their laughter drifted through the open window as they linked hands and departed.

Mild cynicism marred Shesshoumaru's elegant face, as he watched his lover's husband and his fiancee cross the garden. "Evidently, your husband has acquired a new 'friend'", Sesshomaru replied. Turning fully towards Lady Yura, he searched her face for some sign of surprise. When he saw none, his face hardened into an ironic mask. "You knew they were going to be together so that explains your sudden interest in my bed, is that right?"

Yura nodded, uneasy under the relentless gaze of those cool amber eyes. "I thought," she said, running her hand up his hard chest, "it would be such a shame if I didn't get what I wanted. After all, my husband certainly is...ah...amusing himself somewhere else, so that would leave me free to find my own "amusement". Is that so wrong?"

He remained silent and her eyes searched his inscrutable features. "Are you shocked?" she asked, her smile seductive.

"Hardly," he replied, his voice tinged with boredom, "I've known about affairs such as these since I was young, so I doubt I could be shocked by anything that females do. On the contrary, I'm amazed that you didn't contrive for the four of us to 'get-together'. That would certainly relieve me of the tedious chore in ending my unwanted engagement."

She made a muffled sound, part laughter, and part horror. "Now you've shocked me."

Lazily, he tipped her chin up, studying her face with eyes that were too hard and guarded. "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Suddenly angry, Lady Yura pulled away from him and wrapped the sheet more securely around her nakedness. "Really Lord Sesshomaru, I don't know why you're looking at me like I'm beneath contempt," she said, her face reflecting honest bewilderment and annoyance, "you don't understand how boring life can be for some of us. Without a little dalliance to take one's mind off the tedium, one could go quite mad."

At the tragic note in her voice, humor softened his features. "Poor little Yura," he said dryly, reaching out and brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "What a miserable life you females have, from the day you were born you always belonged to someone, your education is grudgingly given, and your happiness lies in the hands of a man that you wed," he finished.

Yura jerked her head away from his tender caress, stung by his words.

Only a small quirk in his left eyebrow indicated his surprise at her sudden reaction. "Didn't it ever occur to you that you can change all that?"

"No," she admitted bluntly, "I may not be happy, but I am content. My wealth is secure because of Komo and I did my duty by him. He has the heir that he needs, so now," she shrugged her shoulders elegantly, " I am free to seek out my own diversions as much as he."

A ghost of a smile graced his sensual mouth. "I applaud your honesty Yura, I think that it is your one virtue."

Yura hesitated, struck by his words, not certain whether he was ridiculing her or not. She faced him, searching his enigmatic face, while her own was a mask of uncertainty. "You…you don't have a high opinion of females, do you?"

Her words brought a look about his face, reminding her of a cat she saw once. One that had a fat bird in its paws, and was about to devour the tasty treat. Then, Sesshomaru walked towards his lover, mesmerizing her with his grace, like that of a predator stalking his prey. Slowly he reached out and grasped her hands, gently removing her tight hold on the sheet. The silken cloth slid down Yura's body like a caress.

Sesshomaru leaned forward and whispered huskily in her ear, "On the contrary, Yura, I think that females are absolutely delightful…in bed".

Yura's breath caught in her throat as the warmth of his breath on her sensitive neck caused her stomach to clench in sweet anticipation. "And," she replied, her voice shaky with need, "what about when we're out of bed?"

A small growl escaped Shesshoumaru's chest as he bent his head and traced the folds of her ear with his tongue, eliciting a soft moan from Yura. She tilted her head back, exposing her neck invitingly to his questing mouth. He accepted her invitation eagerly, his mouth suckling gently on her neck, while his hands pulled her eager body closer to his. Passion, both hot and wild, poured through Yura's blood like liquid flame, and soon she was robbed of speech and the ability to think.

Hours later, later when they were both satiated, a sudden thought occurred to Yura: Sesshomaru never answered her question.

* * *

Japan, 1996

With her small chin propped upon her fists, Kagome Higurashi watched the yellow butterfly perched upon the windowsill of her grandfather's study. Her eyes followed the fluttering of the insect as it flew out the window, past the Goshinboku Tree, and out of her sight.

A sharp coughing sound caught her attention as her head turned away from the window and she grinned sheepishly at the white-haired man seated across the desk. "What did you say, 'Anpa? I didn't hear you."

The elderly scholar gave a deep sigh and he reached out and rapped Kagome on the head gently with his knuckle. "I asked why that butterfly was more interesting than ancient history." The man smiled gently at the petite nineteen-year-old who possessed her mother's glossy dark hair and his own warm brown eyes.

Kagome sent him a melting, apologetic smile, but didn't deny the fact that she was distracted, for her gentle grandfather often preached that lying was an insult to the soul. And Kagome would have done anything rather than insult this gentle man who she loved more than anything else in the world.

"I'm sorry 'Anpa, I'm just feeling a little restless, and lately I haven't been getting enough sleep." As if to emphasize her point, Kagome's head dropped wearily to her crossed arms. "I keep having that same dream."

Frowning, Mr. Higurashi leaned back on his chair, crossed his arms, and stroked his beard, a familiar gesture that indicated he was deep in thought. "How long have you been having these dreams, Kagome?"

"About a month now," Kagome replied, her voice muffled. "But the past few nights it's gotten a lot stronger. I woke up this morning, crying. But I can't remember why."

Her grandfather frowned, his brows knit together with worry. In his experience, recurring dreams were not uncommon, after all a majority of their clients often came to the shrine complaining of the same thing. However, for someone in his family to have one, was a different matter.

The Higurashi's are a family that possessed strong spiritual powers ever since ancient times. They could trace their lineage back to the Sengoku Judai Era and to a certain miko, who, according to legend was so powerful that demons and warlords fought each other in order to claim her as their own. The records were never clear as to what the outcome was in the strange struggle. But, whatever the ending, the result was the founding of the Higurashi name, along with the construction of the shrine.

The shrine itself was a work of wonder. It was several centuries old, however, the temple and its surrounding buildings boasted of a modern design, which confounded many historians and architects. Renovations were made to update the shrine such as the installment of running water and electrical outlets in the early 1900's, but the basic structure of the buildings, compared to others that were founded around the same time, was years ahead of its time. Such was the mystery behind the Higurashi shrine that it was held as a national monument by the Japanese government and was spared during the many wars and civil unrest throughout the years.

There were many other mysteries that involved the Higurashi shrine, among these involve the little well that stands in the center of the national monument. Myth has it that during the Warring States Period the well was used as a dumping ground for dead youkai by the local villagers. From what most historians could tell, the locals believed that the bodies of the youkai disappeared after three days. The well became one of the shrine's most attractive features and received visitors from many people the world over. In 1954 an unexplainable incident occurred in which, as a publicity stunt, an actor by the name of Katomori Hidetaka proclaimed in national television, that he would solve the mystery behind the Higurashi well once and for all. He declared that he would voluntarily spend three days inside the well to see if he too, would disappear. Film crews and journalists flocked to the Higurashi shrine as they recorded Mr. Katomori smiling confidently and waving to his adoring fans before he climbed down into the well and was finally sealed inside. For three days they remained beside the well in a faithful vigil. On the dawn of the third day, the seal was uncovered and to everyone's amazement, Katomori was nowhere to be found. The only thing that remained of the unfortunate actor was his right shoe and a bloody dismembered hand, which looked like it had been gnawed off. Following the backlash of the horrible incident, the well became closed to the public and numerous seals were placed to ward off any evil spirits.

Mr. Higurashi was a young man about the same age as his granddaughter during Katomori's failed attempt. He remembered that a week before the incident, he had trouble sleeping because of a dream. This dream kept manifesting itself every night and to his horror, it came true. Now, years later, when Kagome told him that she was experiencing the same dream every night, he felt a stab of fear flow through him. If what she told him was true, then, Kagome was in grave danger.

A/N: There! Finally done! The first chapter's out. This is my first fic, so let me know what you guys think.


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